1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a paper-feeding device and a multi-function printer (MFP), and more particularly, to a paper-feeding device and a multi-function printer with lower cost.
2. Description of Related Art
With the advent of information society, in an office, office automatic equipments such as scanner, photocopier or printer are disposed, so that users can use the office automatic equipments to conduct word processing work. It should be noted that when the above-mentioned office automatic equipments are all disposed in an office, much spaces are occupied. In this regard, an MFP integrating photocopying, printing and scanning functions was developed to solve the above-mentioned problem.
The user usually place a pile of paper sheets at the MFP to conduce photocopying, printing or scanning, such that the MFP needs a retainer to precisely retain the paper sheets during paper sheets are fed into the MFP to avoid too many paper sheets from simultaneously entering and affecting the normal printing operation or the printing quality.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional MFP. Referring to FIG. 1, the paper-feeding device of the conventional MFP includes a first retainer 110, a second retainer 120 and a rib 130 disposed at an inner case for driving the first retainer 110. When the paper-feeding device is not during a paper-feeding process, the first retainer 110 contacts and retains the second retainer 120, and the second retainer 120 forbids paper from entering the MFP. During a paper-feeding process, the inner case falls down to make the rib 130 disposed on the inner case push the first retainer 110, so that the first retainer 110 rotates in clockwise direction to release the position-limiting on the second retainer 120 and the second retainer 120 can freely rotate. At the time, a paper-feeding roller rotates so that the paper sheets can freely pass through the second retainer 120 and then enter the paper sheet transportation channel.
However, after the user opens the outer case of the MFP to maintain the parts inside the MFP and closes the outer case, the first retainer 110 or the second retainer 120 may not return back to its original position, so that the first retainer 110 or the second retainer 120 is unable to normally and effectively work.
In addition, the above-mentioned design requires two retainers, which increases the material consumption and the cost.